One woman's attempt at living a more sustainable life on 3/4 of an acre in the city....

Thursday, August 30, 2012

I did it with confidence!

Tonight after work I went out to visit our horse Mia. We got Mia 2 years ago. She is a 20 year old Quarter Horse that has been shown extensively. She has lived most of her life as a show horse, never really seeing the outside of her stall except to go to horse shows. This seems like a horrible life for a horse if you ask me! I want a horse that can be a horse. I want her to be able to go outside and feel the sunshine on her back and for her to run and roll like horses do.

Since I didn't know any better when we bought Mia, I listened to every bit of advice I was given on this horse. I played by all of the rules, and trust me there were a lot of rules!

* Don't let the horse eat grass. She will colic and die.

* Don't put the horse outside in the pasture. She will run through the fence, and she will die.

* Don't worm the horse. She will colic and die.

* Don't ride the horse outside. She will run away with you and you will die.

You get the point, there were millions of rules! Well, that all changed several months ago.

We had purchased a second horse, which turned out to be the worst choice of horse for us but truthfully the best thing that could have ever happened. You see, we got Tammy out of the deal and little did I know how that would change my life!

Tammy runs a gorgeous horse facility out of Xenia, Ohio, and she is just as special as the horses that she owns! http://www.millenniumquarters.com From the first moment that I arrived at her farm I could tell that this was a woman who was good at what she did. The connection that she has with these giant animals is nothing short of miraculous. And the most amazing thing about her entire operation?! There is no fear. Her horses run in huge fields and graze for hours on lush grass. There is no fear. She is firm but fair with them, and to watch the respect these animals have for her leaves me in awe every time I watch her ride or interact with a horse. Her horses are happy and it shows. They live the lives of real horses and it is refreshing!

Tammy challenges you to dig deeper into yourself and I completely trust her. I know she would never set me up to get hurt, and therefore I am not afraid. In the last 6 months that we have been visiting her farm she has let me ride several different horses and I have never felt unsafe or too nervous to get on. Tammy takes the fear out of horse for me.

So tonight, on my way home from work I decided I wanted to take Mia on a trail ride at the stable where I board her and I wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not. I called Tammy and asked her opinion. Tammy reminded me that Mia was not a proven trail horse and to lounge her before I took her out on the trail. She reminded me that this was a 1000 pound animal I was riding, and lastly she reminded me to have fun with my horse.

Well, fun was an understatement! It was amazing! I was very nervous but I could hear Tammy in my ear saying, "Sit back, and breathe." I did exactly that and it was wonderful. Mia was alert and aware but at my command she walked by an RV trailer, up and down hills, and took me all over those trails. She sped up on her way back to the barn and broke into a fairly fast trot, but I immediately slowed her down and she calmly continued her walk. Overall, the ride was a huge success and I am excited to try it again in the near future. This accomplishment was not something I would have even thought about doing several months ago. I would have been too afraid and it probably would have resulted in a disaster. I am so proud of myself for not being afraid tonight, and for getting in that saddle and taking charge. It felt good and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face! Thanks Tammy for helping me to be more confident around these animals by just being who you are naturally, and thank you Dianna who walked the trail just to make sure I was going to stay safe.